APHRODITE - Greek Goddess of Love & Beauty (Roman Venus) Aphrodite Venus Aphrodite riding goose, Athenian red-figure kylix C5th B.C., British Museum APHRODITE was the Olympian goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. She was depicted as a beautiful woman often accompanied by the winged godling Eros (Love). Her attributes included a dove, apple, scallop shell and mirror. In classical sculpture and fresco she was usually depicted nude. MYTHS Some of the more famous myths featuring the goddess include:-- Her birth from the sea foam. << More >> Her adulterous affair with the god Ares. << More >> Her love for Adonis, a handsome Cypriot youth who was tragically killed by a boar. << More >> Her love for Ankhises (Anchises), a shepherd-prince. << More >> The judgement of Paris in which the goddess was awarded the prize of the golden apple in return for promising Paris Helene in marriage. << More >> The Trojan War in which she supported her favourites Paris and Aeneas and was wounded in the fighting.

<< More >> The race of Hippomenes for Atalanta, which was won with the help of the goddess and her golden apples. << More >> The death of Hippolytos, who was destroyed by the goddess for scorning her worship. << More >> The statue of Pygmalion which was brought to life by Aphrodite in answer to his prayers. << More >> The persecution of Psykhe (Psyche), the maiden loved by the goddess' son Eros. << More >> Many other myths are detailed over the following pages. APHRODITE PAGES ON THEOI.COM This site contains a total of 18 pages describing the goddess Aphrodite, including general descriptions, mythology, and cult. The content is outlined in the Index of Aphrodite Pages (left column or below).

FAMILY OF APHRODITE PARENTS [1] Born from the castrated genitals of OURANOS in the sea's foam (Hesiod Theogony 188, Cicero De Natura Deorum 3.21, Apuleius 6.6, Nonnus Dionysiaca 1.86, et al) [2] ZEUS & DIONE (Homer Iliad 5.370; Euripides Helen 1098; Apollodorus 1.13, Cicero De Natura Deorum 3.21, et al) [3] OURANOS & HEMERA (Cicero De Natura Deorum 3.21) OFFSPRING ENCYCLOPEDIA Aphrodite "Venus de Milo", Greek marble statue C2nd B.C., Musée du Louvre APHRODI′TE (Aphroditê), one of the great Olympian divinities, was, according to the popular and poetical notions of the Greeks, the goddess of love and beauty.

Some traditions stated that she had sprung from the foam (aphros) of the sea, which had gathered around the mutilated parts of Uranus, that had been thrown into the sea by Kronos after he had unmanned his father. (Hesiod. Theog. 190; compare Anadyomene.) With the exception of the Homeric hymn on Aphrodite there is no trace of this legend in Homer, and according to him Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. (Il. v. 370, &c., xx. 105.) Later traditions call her a daughter of Kronos and Euonyme, or of Uranus and Hemera. (Cic. De Nat. Deor. iii. 23; Natal. Com. iv.

13.) According to Hesiod and the Homeric hymn on Aphrodite, the goddess after rising from the foam first approached the island of Cythera, and thence went to Cyprus, and as she was walking on the sea-coast flowers sprang up under her feet, and Eros and Himeros accompanied her to the assembly of the other great gods, all of whom were struck with admiration and love when she appeared, and her surpassing beauty made every one desire to have her for his wife. According to the cosmogonic views of the nature of Aphrodite, she was the personification of the generative powers of nature, and the mother of all living beings. A trace of this notion seems to be contained in the tradition that in the contest of Typhon with the gods, Aphrodite metamorphosed herself into a fish, which animal was considered to possess the greatest generative powers. (Ov. Met. v. 318, &c.; comp. Hygin. Poet. Astr.

30.) But according to the popular belief of the Greeks and their poetical descriptions, she was the goddess of love, who excited this passion in the hearts of gods and men, and by this power ruled over all the living creation. (Hom. Hymn. in Ven. ; Lucret. 15, &c.) Ancient mythology furnishes numerous instances in which Aphrodite punished those who neglected her worship or despised her power, as well as others in which she favoured and protected those who did homage to her and recognized her sway. Love and beauty are ideas essentially connected, and Aphrodite was therefore also the goddess of beauty and gracefulness. In these points she surpassed all other goddesses, and she received the prize of beauty from Paris; she had further the power of granting beauty and invincible charms to others. Youth is the herald, and Peitho, the Horae, and Charites, the attendants and companions of Aphrodite. (Pind. New. viii. 1, &c.) Marriages are called by Zeus her work and the things about which she ought to busy herself. (Hom. Il. v. 429; comp. Od. xx. 74; Pind.

Pyth. ix. 16, &c.) As she herself had sprung from the sea, she is represented by later writers as having some influence upon the sea (Virg. Aen. viii. 800; Ov. Heroid. xv. 213; comp. Paus. ii. 34. § 11.) During the Trojan war, Aphrodite, the mother of Aeneas, who had been declared the most beautiful of all the goddesses by a Trojan prince, naturally sided with the Trojans. She saved Paris from his contest with Menelaus (Il. iii. 380), but when she endeavoured to rescue her darling Aeneas from the fight, she was pursued by Diomedes, who wounded her in her hand. In her fright she abandoned her son, and was carried by Iris in the chariot of Ares to Olympus, where she complained of her misfortune to her mother Dione, but was laughed at by Hera and Athena. (Il. v. 311, &c.) She also protected the body of Hector, and anointed it with ambrosia. (Il. xxiii.

185.) According to the most common accounts of the ancients, Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus (Odyss. viii. 270), who, however, is said in the Iliad (viii. 383) to have married Charis. Her faithlessness to Hephaestus in her amour with Ares, and the manner in which she was caught by the ingenuity of her husband, are beautifully described in the Odyssey. (viii. 266, &c.) By Ares she became the mother of Phobos, Deimos, Harmonia, and, according to later traditions, of Eros and Anteros also. (Hesiod. Theog. 934, &c., Scut. Herc. 195; Hom. Il. xiii. 299, iv. 440; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. iii. 26; Cic. De Nat. Deor. iii. 23.) But Ares was not the only god whom Aphrodite favoured; Dionysus, Hermes, and Poseidon likewise enjoyed her charms.

By the first she was, according to some traditions, the mother of Priapus (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. i. 933) and Bacchus (Hesych. s. v. Bakchou Diônês), by the second of Hermaphroditus (Ov. Met. iv. 289, &c.; Diod. iv. 6; Lucian, Dial. Deor. xv. 2), and by Poseidon she had two children, Rhodos and Herophilus. (Schol. ad Pind. Pyth. viii. 24.) As Aphrodite so often kindled in the hearts of the gods a love for mortals, Zeus at last resolved to make her pay for her wanton sport by inspiring her too with love for a mortal man. This was accomplished, and Aphrodite conceived an invincible passion for Anchises, by whom she became the mother of Aeneas and Lyrus. Respecting her connexions with other mortals see Adonis and Butes. The ancient story ran thus : Smyrna had neglected the worship of Aphrodite, and was punished by the goddess with an unnatural love for her father.

With the assistance of her nurse she contrived to share her father's bed without being known to him. When he discovered the crime he wished to kill her; but she fled, and on being nearly overtaken, prayed to the gods to make her invisible. They were moved to pity and changed her into a tree called smurna. After the lapse of nine months the tree burst, and Adonis was born. Aphrodite was so much charmed with the beauty of the infant, that she concealed it in a chest which she entrusted to Persephone; but when the latter discovered the treasure she had in her keeping, she refused to give it up. The case was brought before Zeus, who decided the dispute by declaring that during four months of every year Adonis should be left to himself, during four months he should belong to Persephone, and during the remaining four to Aphrodite. Adonis however preferring to live with Aphrodite, also spent with her the four months over which he had controul. Afterwards Adonis died of a wound which he received from a boar during the chase. Thus far the story of Adonis was related by Panyasis. Later writers furnish various alterations and additions to it.

According to Hyginus (Fab. 58, 164, 251, 271), Smyrna was punished with the love for her father, because her mother Cenchreis had provoked the anger of Aphrodite by extolling the beauty of her daughter above that of the goddess. Smyrna after the discovery of her crime fled into a forest, where she was changed into a tree from which Adonis came forth, when her father split it with his sword. The dispute between Aphrodite and Persephone was according to some accounts settled by Calliope, whom Zeus appointed as mediator between them. (Hygin. Poet. Astron. ii. 7.) Ovid (Met. x. 300, &c.) adds the following features: Myrrha's love of her father was excited by the furies; Lucina assisted her when she gave birth to Adonis, and the Naiads anointed him with the tears of his mother, i. e. with the fluid which trickled from the tree. Adonis grew up a most beautiful youth, and Venus loved him and shared with him the pleasures of the chase, though she always cautioned him against the wild beasts.

At last he wounded a boar which killed him in its fury. According to some traditions Ares (Mars), or, according to others, Apollo assumed the form of a boar and thus killed Adonis. (Serv. ad Virg. Ecl. x. 18; Ptolem. Hephaest. i. p. 306, ed. Gale.) A third story related that Dionysus carried off Adonis. (Phanocles ap. Plut. Sumpos. iv. 5.) When Aphrodite was informed of her beloved being wounded, she hastened to the spot and sprinkled nectar into his blood, from which immediately flowers sprang up. Various other modifications of the story may be read in Hyginus (Poet. Astron. ii. 7), Theocritus (Idyll. xv.), Bion (Idyll. i.), and in the scholiast on Lycophron. (839, &c.) From the double marriage of Aphrodite with Ares and Adonis sprang Priapus. (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. i.

9, 32.) Besides him Golgos and Beroe are likewise called children. of Adonis and Aphrodite. (Schol. ad Theocrit. xv. 100; Nonn. Dionys. xli 155.) On his death Adonis was obliged to descend into the lower world, but he was allowed to spend six months out of every year with his beloved Aphrodite in the upper world. (Orph. hymn. 55. 10.) Aphrodite possessed a magic girdle which had the power of inspiring love and desire for those who wore it; hence it was borrowed by Hera when she wished to stimulate the love of Zeus. (Hom. Il. xiv. 214, &c.) The arrow is also sometimes mentioned as one of her attributes. (Plnd. Pyth. iv. 380; Theocrit. xi. 16.) In the vegetable kingdom the myrtle, rose, apple, poppy, and others, were sacred to her. (Ov. Fast. iv. 15. 143; Bion, Idyll. i. 64; Schol. ad Aristoph. Nub.

993; Paus. ii. 10. § 4; Phornut. 23.) The animals sacred to her, which are often mentioned as drawing her chariot or serving as her messengers, are the sparrow, the dove, the swan, the swallow, and a bird called iynx. (Sappho, in Ven. 10; Athen. ix. p. 395; Horat. Carm. iv. 1. 10; Aelian, Hist. An. x. 34; Pind. Pyth. l. c.) As Aphrodite Urania the tortoise, the symbol of domestic modesty and chastity, and as Aphrodite Pandemos the ram was sacred to her. [Urania; Pandemos.] When she was represented as the victorious goddess, she had the attributes of Ares, a helmet, a shield, a sword : or a lance, and an image of Victory in one hand. The planet Venus and the spring-month of April were likewise sacred to her. (Cie. de Nat. Deor. iii. 20; Ov. Fast. iv.

90.) All the surnames and epithets given to Aphrodite are derived from places of her worship, from events connected with the legends about her, or have reference to her character and her influence upon man, or are descriptive of her extraordinary beauty and charms. All her surnames are explained in separate articles. The principal places of her worship in Greece were the islands of Cyprus and Cythera. At Cnidus in Caria she had three temples, one of which contained her renowned statue by Praxiteles. Mount Ida in Troas was an ancient place of her worship, and among the other places we may mention particularly the island of Cos, the towns of Abydos, Athens, Thespiae, Megara, Sparta, Sicyon, Corinth, and Eryx in Sicily. The sacrifices offered to her consisted mostly of incense and garlands of flowers (Virg. Aen. i. 416; Tacit. Hist. ii. 3), but in some places animals, such as pigs, goats, young cows, hares, and others, were sacrificed to her.

In some places, as at Corinth, great numbers of females belonged to her, who prostituted themselves in her service, and bore the name of hierodouloi. (Dict.of Ant. s. v. Hetairai.) Respecting the festivals of Aphrodite see Dict. of Ant. s.v. Adônia, Anagôgia, Aphrodisia, Katagôgia. The worship of Aphrodite was undoubtedly of eastern origin, and probably introduced from Syria to the islands of Cyprus, Cythera, and others, from whence it spread all over Greece. It is said to have been brought into Syria from Assyria. (Paus. i. 14. § 6.) Aphrodite appears to have been originally identical with Astarte, called by the Hebrews Ashtoreth, and her connexion with Adonis clearly points to Syria. But with the exception of Corinth, where the worship of Aphrodite had eminently an Asiatic character, the whole worship of this goddess and all the ideas concerning her nature and character are so entirely Greek, that its introduction into Greece must be assigned to the very earliest periods. The elements were derived from the East, but the peculiar development of it belongs to Greece.

The Roman goddess Venus was identified with the Greek Aphrodite. Aphrodite, the ideal of female graec and beauty, frequently engaged the talents and genius of the ancient artists. The most celebrated representations of her were those of Cos and Cnidus. Those which are still extant are divided by archaeologists into several classes, accordingly as the goddess is represented in a standing position and naked, as the Medicean Venus, or bathing, or half naked, or dressed in a tunic, or as the victorious goddess in arms, as she was represented in the temples of Cythera, Sparta, and Corinth. (Paus. iii. 23. § 1, ii. 5. § 1, iii. 15. § 10.) Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Birth of Aphrodite, Greco-Roman fresco from Pompeii C1st A.D., Naples National Archaeological Museum CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES I) THE HOMERIC HYMNS Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite (trans.

Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th to 4th B.C.) : "Moisa (Muse), tell me the deeds of golden Aphrodite Kypria (Cyprian), who stirs up sweet passion in the gods and subdues the tribes of mortal men and birds that fly in air and all the many creatures that the dry land rears, and all the sea: all these love the deeds of rich-crowned Kythereia. [The story of the love of Aphrodite and Ankhises follows.] . . . Hail, goddess, queen of well-builded Kypros (Cyprus)! With you have I begun; now I will turn me to another hymn." Homeric Hymn 6 to Aphrodite : "I will sing of stately Aphrodite, gold-crowned and beautiful, whose dominion is the walled cities of all sea-set Kypros (Cyprus). There the moist breath of Zephyros the western wind wafted her over the waves of the loud-moaning sea in soft foam, ad there the gold-filleted Horai (Horae, Seasons) welcomed her joyously.

[The story of the birth of Aphrodite follows.] . . . Hail, sweetly-winning, coy-eyed goddess! Grant that I may gain the victory in this contest, and order you my song. And now I will remember you and another song also." Homeric Hymn 10 to Aphrodite : "Of Kythereia (Cytherea) [Aphrodite], born in Kypros (Cyprus), I will sing. She gives kindly gifts to men: smiles are ever on her lovely face, and lovely is the brightness that plays over it. Hail, goddess, queen of well-built Salamis and sea-girt Kypros; grant me a cheerful song. And now I will remember you and another song also." II) THE ORPHIC HYMNS Orphic Hymn 55 to Aphrodite (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) : "To Aphrodite.

Ourania (Urania) (Heavenly), illustrious, laughter-loving (philommeideia) queen, sea-born (pontogenes), night-loving (philopannyx), of awful mien; crafty, from whom Ananke (Necessity) first came, producing, nightly, all-connecting dame. 'Tis thine the world with harmony to join, for all things spring from thee, O power divine. The triple Moirai (Fates) are ruled by thy decree, and all productions yield alike to thee: whatever the heavens, encircling all, contain, earth fruit-producing, and the stormy main, thy sway confesses, and obeys thy nod, awful attendant of Bakkhos [Dionysos] God. Goddess of marriage, charming to the sight, mother of the Erotes (Loves), whom banquetings delight; source of Peitho (Persuasion), secret, favouring queen, illustrious born, apparent and unseen; spousal Lukaina, and to men inclined, prolific, most-desired, life-giving, kind.

Great sceptre-bearer of the Gods, 'tis thine mortals in necessary bands to join; and every tribe of savage monsters dire in magic chains to bind through mad desire. Come, Kyprogenes (Cyprus-Born), and to my prayer incline, whether exalted in the heavens you shine, or pleased in odorous Syria to preside, or over the Aigyptian (Egyptian) plains they care to guide, fashioned of gold; and near its sacred flood, fertile and famed, to fix they blest abode; or if rejoicing in the azure shores, near where the sea with foaming billows roars, the circling choirs of mortals thy delight, or beauteous Nymphai (Nymphs) with eyes cerulean bright, pleased by the sandy banks renowned of old, to drive thy rapid two-yoked car of gold; or if in Kypros (Cyprus) thy famed mother fair, where Nymphai unmarried praise thee every year, the loveliest Nymphai, who in the chorus join, Adonis pure to sing, and thee divine.

Come, all-attractive, to my prayer inclined, for thee I call, with holy, reverent mind." PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS OF APHRODITE Aphrodite and Ares, Athenian red-figure kylix C5th B.C., Tarquinia National Archaeological Museum Classical literature offers only a few, brief descriptions of the physical characteristics of the gods. Homer, Iliad 3. 396 ff (trans. Lattimore) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) : "She [Helene of Troy] recognized the round, sweet throat of the goddess [Aphrodite] and her desirable breasts and her eyes that were full of shining." Stasinus of Cyprus or Hegesias of Aegina, Cypria Fragment 6 (from Athenaeus 15. 682) (trans.

Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th or 6th B.C.) : "She [Aphrodite] clothed herself with garments which the Kharites (Charites, Graces) and Horai (Hours) had made for her and dyed in flowers of spring--such flowers as the Horai (Horae, Seasons) wear--in crocus and hyacinth and flourishing violet and the rose's lovely bloom, so sweet and delicious, and heavenly buds, the flowers of the narcissus and lily. In such perfumed garments is Aphrodite clothed at all seasons." Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite 78 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th to 4th B.C.) : "Aphrodite, the daughter of Zeus stood before him [Ankhises (Anchises)], being like a pure maiden in height and mien, that he should not be frightened when he took heed of her with his eyes. Now when Ankhises saw her, he marked her well and wondered at her mien and height and shining garments.

For she was clad in a robe out-shining the brightness of fire, a splendid robe of gold, enriched with all manner of needlework, which shimmered like the moon over her tender breasts, a marvel to see. Also she wore twisted brooches and shining earrings in the form of flowers; and round her soft throat were lovely necklaces . . . [later she revealed her true divine height and mien] and her head reached to the well-hewn roof-tree; from her cheeks shone unearthly beauty such as belongs to rich-crowned Kythereia (Cytherea). . .

[and] when he [Ankhises] saw the neck and lovely eyes of Aphrodite, he was afraid and turned his eyes aside another way, hiding his comely face with his cloak." Homeric Hymn 6 to Aphrodite 6 ff : "The Horai (Horae, Seasons) clothed her [Aphrodite] with heavenly garments: on her head they put a fine, well-wrought crown of gold, and in her pierced ears they hung ornaments of orichalc and precious gold, and adorned her with golden necklaces over her soft neck and snow-white breasts, jewels which the gold-filleted Horai wear themselves." Philostratus the Younger, Imagines 8 (trans. Fairbanks) (Greek rhetorician C3rd A.D.) : "[From a description of a Greek painting:] Three goddesses standing near them--they need no interpreter to tell who they are . . . the second one [Aphrodite] even in the painting shows the 'laughter-loving' (philomeides) disposition caused by the magic of her girdle." Orphic Hymn 57 to Chthonian Hermes (trans.

Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) : "Celestial Aphrodite, Paphian queen, dark-eyelashed Goddess, of a lovely mien." Apuleius, The Golden Ass 10. 30 ff (trans. Walsh) (Roman novel C2nd A.D.) : "[From a description of an ancient Greek play portraying the Judgement of Paris:] After them a third girl entered, her beauty visibly unsurpassed. Her charming, ambrosia-like complexion intimated that she represented the earlier Venus [Aphrodite] when that goddess was still a maiden. She vaunted her unblemished beauty by appearing naked and unclothed except for a thin silken garment veiling her entrancing lower parts. An inquisitive gust of air would at one moment with quite lubricous affection blow this garment aside, so that when wafted away it revealed her virgin bloom; at another moment it would wantonly breathe directly upon it, clinging tightly and vividly outlining the pleasurable prospect of her lower limbs.

The goddess's appearance offered contrasting colours to the eye, for her body was dazzling white, intimating her descent from heaven and her robe was dark blue, denoting her emergence from the sea . . . Each maiden representing a goddess was accompanied by her own escort . . . Venus [Aphrodite] was surrounded by a throng of the happiest children; you would have sworn that those little boys whose skins were smooth and milk-white were genuine Cupides [Erotes] who had just flown in from sky or sea. They looked just he part with their tiny wings, miniature arrows, and the rest of their get-up, as with gleaming torches they lit the way for their mistress as though she were en route to a wedding-banquet. Next floated in charming children, unmarried girls, representing on one side the Gratiae [Charites, Graces] at their most graceful, and on the other the Horae [Horai] in all their beauty. They were appeasing the goddess by strewing wreaths and single blossoms before her, and they formed a most elegant chorus-line as they sought to please the Mistress of pleasures with the foliage of spring.

The flutes with their many stops were now rendering in sweet harmony melodies in the Lydian mode. As they affectingly softened the hearts of onlookers, Venus [Aphrodite] still more affectingly began to gently stir herself; with gradual, lingering steps, restrained swaying of the hips, and slow inclination of the head she began to advance, her refined movements matching the soft wounds of the flutes. Occasionally her eyes alone would dance, as at one moment she gently lowered her lids, and at another imperiously signalled with threatening glances." Apuleius, The Golden Ass 2. 8 ff : "Venus [Aphrodite] . . . wearing that belt of hers around her waist, diffusing the scent of cinnamon and bedewing the air with balsam." Colluthus, Rape of Helen 82 ff (trans.

Mair) (Greek poetry C5th to 6th A.D.) : "Kypris (Cypris) [Aphrodite] of crafty counsels unfolded her snood and undid the fragrant clasp of her hair and wreathed with gold her locks, with gold her flowing tresses." ANCIENT GREEK & ROMAN ART Statius, Achilleid - Latin Epic C1st A.D. Statius, Silvae - Latin Poetry C1st A.D. Apuleius, The Golden Ass - Latin Novel C2nd A.D. BYZANTINE Photius, Myriobiblon - Byzantine Greek Scholar C9th A.D. Suidas, The Suda - Byzantine Greek Lexicon C10th A.D. OTHER SOURCES Source status of Aphrodite pages:- 1.

Fully quoted: Homer (Iliad & Odyssey), Hesiod, Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle & Homerica, Apollodorus, Pausanias, Herodotus, Strabo, Orphic Hymns, Quintus Smyrnaeus, Callimachus, Aesop, Aelian, Ovid (Metamorphoses), Hyginus (Fabulae & Astronomica), Apuleius; 2. Partially or not quoted (Greek): Pindar, Greek Lyric (Fragments), Greek Elegaic (Fragments), Apollonius Rhodius, Diodorus Siculus, Antoninus Liberalis, Euripides, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Aristophanes, Plato, Theocritus, Lycophron, Plutarch, Philostratus & Callistratus, Oppian, Colluthus, Tryphiodorus, et. al.; 3. Partially or not quoted (Latin): Ovid (Fasti), Cicero, Statius, Propertius, Valerius Flaccus, et. al.

Rosemary Gemmell - Aphrodite and Adonis Rosemary Gemmell Amazon Author Page Aphrodite and Adonis Series of Novellas The three novellas in my series from Tirgearr Publishing are set on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Cyprus which is known as Aphrodite's Island as the mythological goddess of love was said to have been born here! Each of my novellas features a different human couple, as well as Aphrodite and her beloved Adonis who play a game during summer and spring where they seek to help a visiting couple with their love life. Fun, romance and mythology in the sun! The Aphrodite Touch (Book I) When Carla?s reserved Scottish boyfriend, Jamie, suggests a holiday in Paphos on the island of Cyprus, it?s make or break time for a relationship that hasn?t yet become physical enough for Carla. On Paphos, the goddess Aphrodite and her lover, Adonis, play their annual game of choosing suitable couples to amuse them. But Jamie proves more of a challenge than sensual and beautiful Aphrodite has yet encountered. The meddling Greek deities have one final chance to influence the mortals before Carla and Jamie return home. Will Carla and Jamie?s relationship survive?

Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US and in all e-formats from Tirgearr The Aphrodite Assignment (Book III) Bryony Marshall has the assignment of a lifetime: to check out the new apartments on Cyprus, Aphrodite?s island, for her travel company. But she hadn?t reckoned on her contact being Richard Harrison, former teenage crush and her older sister?s ex-fiancé, and her renewed feelings for him. Aphrodite and Adonis plan to encourage the budding romance between Bryony and Richard but the goddess Athena brings them unwelcome news: Aphrodite must return to Olympus with the other gods for a council with Zeus. Can the mythological couple bring the humans together within the limited time left to both couples? Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US and in all e-formats through Tirgearr Meet Aphrodite, the greek goddess of beauty and love Liaisons with mortals Aphrodite and Adonis As mentioned above, Aphrodite did not limit her lustful desires only for gods, but for mortals as well. As a matter of fact, Zeus instilled in her the lust for mortals, as punishment for her acts of making gods fall in love with mortals themselves.

The most notable myths describing the goddess’s amorous adventures with humans are two: The first one describing her infatuation with handsome Anchises and the other one, which is the most well known, is the myth with young Adonis. Anchises was tending his herds on Mount Ida in Crete, when the goddess caught a glimpse of him and fell in love. When she rushed to meet him, she falsely pretended to be a mortal herself, assuming the identity of the daughter of the Phrygian king Otreus, who had come to marry young Achises, on the order of god Hermes. After he succumbed to her lustful desires, Anchises realized to his horror that indeed he lay with a goddess, rather than a mortal. Aphrodite assured him that no harm would happen to him and revealed to him that she would bear him a son, by the name of Aeneas who would be raised by the nymphs who lived in the mountain. However, she implored the young mortal never to reveal the true identity of his son, because if he did, he would enrage Zeus who would strike him (his son) with a thunderbolt, in retaliation.

According to ancient greek myths, Adonis was born out of a quarrel that the goddess of love had with Myrrha or Smyrna, who was the daughter of the Assyrian king Theias. As the myth goes, the animosity between the two females, that is between Aphrodite and the mortal princess, began when the latter refused to worship the former. In retaliation to the girl’s lack of respect towards her, the goddess inspired in her (the princess Smyrna), an insatiable lust for her father. When he was finally tricked into consuming their relationship, king Theias became so enraged at his daughter, that she begged the gods to save her. Her prayers were heard and she was turned into a myrrh tree. Then months later, the trunk of the tree was split halfway and a handsome young man, Adonis, emerged. Aphrodite became quickly infatuated with the young man and shut him in a trunk that she entrusted to Persephone, asking her to hide him from gods and mortals. But Persephone fell in love with the handsome youth herself, refusing to return him to the goddess. Unable to reach an agreement, the two women sought Zeus’s advice to resolve their dispute.

As a solution, the mighty ruler of Olympus divided the year into three periods: In the first period, Adonis would spend his time as he pleased, the second period he would devote his time to Persephone and the third period he would stay with Aphrodite. Finally, Adonis chose to spend his free time (the first period of the year) with the goddess of love. Unfortunately, Adonis had a tragic end: During one of his hunting trips in the forest, he came face to face with an enormous wild boar. As a result, he was fatally injured. Watching the scene from afar, Aphrodite rushed to his aide. As the myth goes, in her haste she forgot to put on her sandals and a rose thorn pricked her foot. The blood from the wound trickled on some white roses, turning them into bright red. Devastated by her lover’s tragic faith, the goddess laid him on a bed of lettuce plants, which, according to ancient Greeks, took on aphrodisiac qualities, because of this act. The flower wild anemone, is also said to have grown from the tears that the goddess shed for her lost lover.

There are two versions, related to the true identity of the wild beast who killed Adonis: It was either the god of war Ares who was envious at the goddess’s affection towards the young man, or god Apollo, who sought to avenge the son of Erymanthous, whom Aprhodite blinded because he saw her bathing after her erotic encounter with Adonis. It is noteworthy to say that, in ancient Greece, Adonis was the object of true worship. The focus of his cult was the mysteries known as Adoneia in which mostly women took part. According to ancient sources, similar practices were carried out in Syria and Egypt. Goddess’s involvement in other love schemes Aphrodite and Pan Apart from her own amorous adventures with gods and mortals, Aphrodite, being true to her capacity as the goddess of love, had active involvement in other love affairs, which had astounding side effects: They either led to outbreak of wars, made daughters and wives turn against their fathers, their husbands and their country, or led to numerous other events with tragic outcomes.

Some of these heart-touching myths are listed below: Helen of Troy: One of the most famous victims of Aphrodite is Helen, the beauty over whom the Trojan War was fought. The goddess’s victory in the famous beauty contest where the Trojan prince Paris was the judge, led to the abduction of Helen, wife of king Menelaus of Sparta. This act triggered a chain of events which ultimately led to the outbreak of the most famous war in Greek Mythology, namely the Trojan War. Medea: The goddess of beauty played an especially important role in the expedition of the Argonauts, as Jason took advantage of the passion that the goddess inflamed in Medea’s heart to steal the golden fleece and escape from Colchis. Click here to learn morel about Jason and the Argonauts. Pasiphae-Ariadne-Phaedra: The wife (Pasiphae), as well as the two daughters (Ariadne and Phaedra) of the Cretan king Minos, all became tragically entagled in a web of love and lust, genuinely set up by the scheme-lover goddess of beauty.

Initially, the goddess turned against Pasiphae, daughter of Helius, when her father tipped off Hephaestus to Aphrodite’s extramarital affair with Ares. Unable to punish Helius for his misdemeanor, the goddess turned against his daughter Pasiphae instead, by instilling in her an insatiable lust for a bull that god Poseidon had given to her husband Minos, as a gift. From the queen’s union with the beast, the monster Minotaur was born, who was later killed by Theseus, during his expedition to Crete. Made by Aphrodite to fall in love with the hero, Ariadne was Theseus’s aide in finding his way in the labyrihth and finally kill Minotaur. Click here to learn in detail the story of Theseus, Pasiphae and Ariadne. The most tragic story is linked with Phaedra, the other daughter of Minos, who became the second wife of Theseus. Aphrodite, angered by the fact that Hippolytus, son of Theseus and the amazon Hippolyte, was ignoring her amorous advances, she ignited in Phaedra an illicit lust for her stepson.

Click here to find more about the bitter end of the tragic story of Theseus’s wife and his son. Atalante: A story of love with a happy ending, is also associated with the goddess of love and beauty. This is the myth of Atalante, a young virgin who, abhorred by the idea of getting married, submitted all those who sought her hand into a test. The test was a foot race. The virgin would have her young suitors set out first;she would then race behind them, overtake them and kill them. The young virgin was finally outwitted by young Melanippus (or Melanion), who was assisted by Aphrodite. What the goddess did was to give Melanippus, before the race, several of the apples of Hesperides. During the race, the young man would drop one of the apples, whenever Atalante was drawing nearer to him. The young girl would stop to pick the apple, thus letting her opponent to gain ground. After employing his trick several times, Melanippus finally managed to win the race and, at the same time, the heart of Atalante. This happy turn of events finally led to the marriage of the two youths.

Selemnus: One example of Aphrodite helping mortals to overcome their grief over an unsuccessful relationship, is manifested in the story of Selemnus, a young shepherd who fell in love with the nymph Argyra. When the man lost his looks because of ageing, his object of affection deserted him. As a result, the poor man died of his grief. The goddess of love, deeply moved from his love, turned the man into a river. Yet, even after his transformation, Selemnus remained grief stricken. So, the goddess came to his aid a second time and gave him the ability to erase from his memory the pain over his lost love. Based on this myth, ancient Greeks worshipped the river Selemnus and turned to him, whenever they wanted assistance to overcome their own grief about a love gone bad. Goddess’s Cult and Symbols Statue of Aphrodite found in Cyprus Several ancient sources confirm the eastern origin of Aphrodite’s worship. Pausanias writes that the Assyrians were the first to worship Ourania. Her cult was later spread to Paphos in Cyprus and then to Cythera.

There is evidence that the goddess was known by many epithets: The Assyrians called her Mylitta, the Arabs called her Alitat, the Scythians Argimpasa and the Persians called her Mitra. According to Cypriot tradition, the followers of the goddess would prove their devotion by laying with strangers; a fact attested by the historian Strabo, who records the existence of over a thousand hetaire, or courtesans, at her sanctuary at Acrocorinth. Aphrodite’s links to Cyprus and Cythera are clearly evidenced by additional epithets she had like Cypris, Cythereia and Papheia. In addition, her most important sanctuaries have been found in Paphos, Idalios and Amathounta (all ancient cities of Cyprus). In the Mediterranean, important sanctuaries dedicated to the goddess have been found in Cnidus, Halicarnassus, Ephesus and Abidus. The cult of Aphrodite was especially widespread on the islands of Cos and Rhodes, while on Delos it was believed that a xoano, or wooden idol, of the goddess had been brought to the island by the hero Theseus.

Her myth of being born from the sea foam, naturally associated the goddess with the sea. Thus, a lot of temples dedicated to her, are located either along the coasts, or in harbors or capes. Examples are the temples at Aegeio, Patra, Cnidos, Attica etc. The goddess’s most important symbol is the breastplate and belt. According to Homer, Aphrodite gave this belt to Hera, so that she could charm Zeus. In ancient depictions, she is also shown to be wearing a wreath, which is also considered to be one of her symbols. Objects of beauty such as the perfumed clothing she was wearing when she stood before Paris in the famous beauty contest, as well as her sparkling jewellery, are typical accessories of the magnificent goddess as well. Plants sacred to the goddess are the rose, myrtle, anemone, pomegranate, polly and apple. The dove, swan, goose, the tortoise and the rabbit were some of the representatives from the animal kingdom, who were considered to be sacred to the goddess. Also, the dolphin symbolized her origin from the sea.

Aphrodite | Greek Mythology Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Parents: Ouranus, The sky itself Aphrodite (Greek: Ἀφροδίτη) was the goddess of love, beauty, and desire. In most myths she was born from the foam in the waters of Paphos, on the island of Cyprus after Ouranos 's genitals were cast into the sea by his son, Kronos . But in other myths she is the daughter of Thalassa (personification of the sea) and Uranus while in other she is the daughter of Dione and Zeus . Her Roman name is Venus. Protected Goddess [edit | edit source]Aphrodite, like the other gods, he patronized some characters in mythology; this protection occurred with individuals where love and beauty - Aphrodite's attributes - stood out. The forbidden love of Paris and Helen assured that the goddess of sympathy until after the end of the Trojan War; thanks to Aphrodite, Menelaus forgave Helen's betrayal and they were reconciled.

[48] One of his most famous was blessed Pygmalion, a sculptor and the King of Cyprus, who fell in love with a statue carved when trying to play the ideal woman. He had decided to live in celibacy in Cyprus for not agreeing with the libertine attitude of women there, who had given fame to the same place as courtesans. Aphrodite if pitying him and given to his request, finding the island a woman who arrived at the foot of that Pygmalion carved in beauty and modesty, turned the statue into a flesh and blood woman with whom Pygmalion married and, nine months later, she had a daughter named Paphos, which gave name to the island. [49] In addition to its protection of lovers and passionate, the goddess protected members of his family, even distant as her granddaughter Ino, she saved him from Hera's wrath turning it into bird. Aphrodite also gave beauty to Coronides, two daughters of Orion, after the death their mother. Similarly, she took care of the orphaned daughters of Pandareus, a favorite of Demeter who was turned to stone after trying to steal bronze Zeus temple.

His daughters, Cleodora and Merope, who were also motherless, were protected by Aphrodite, who took care of them and held them. However, when Aphrodite went to Zeus to ensure a happy marriage for girls, they were taken by the Furies. Contents Myth Birth There are two forms of Aphrodite's birth. The first, and most common, is that after Ouranus was cut apart by Kronus , he threw most of Ouranos' body parts in Tartarus , though as a fail safe he also threw parts into the ocean. These divinities caused the sea foam to turn into a goddess, resulting in Aphrodite. She was clothed by the three Graces . The second is less used. It states Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Dione . Adonis Once while Aphrodite and her son, Eros, were hugging, one of Eros' arrows cut her. She pushed him away thinking it to be nothing. However, she saw a mortal named Adonis , and fell deeply in love with him. However, Persephone also loved him (This was before her kidnapping). The two fought, and Zeus found a solution to this situation.

Adonis would spend one third of the year with Aphrodite, one third with Persephone, and the last third with whomever he chose. Adonis was later killed by the Erymanthian boar, which was sent by Apollo as revenge for Aphrodite blinding his son, Erymanthus. Aphrodite held him in her arms, and sprinkled Nectar on him. This caused his blood to become the Anemone genus.Her child with Adonis was Beroe and Aphrodite made her goddess of the city. Trojan War Aphrodite somewhat began the Trojan War. It began when Aphrodite tempted Paris to choose her as the fairest goddess with Helen , the fairest mortal of all. He did choose her, which caused war with the gods. Also, because Helen was already married to a ruler of Sparta. The two fell in love, causing not only a problem, but also a war between the Trojans and Greeks MARRIGE with Hephaistos. According to a version of Aphrodite's history, because of its immense beauty, Zeus fears that the other gods to begin to fight each other because of it.

To avoid this, he forces her to marry Hephaestus, the blacksmith god, humorless and ugly. [13] In another version of the story, Aphrodite marries Hephaestus after his mother, Hera, cast the Olympus, considering the very ugly and deformed to live with the gods. He avenges his mother holding a magical throne built. In exchange for his release, he asked to be given Aphrodite's hand in marriage. [13]Hephaestus is happy to be married to the goddess of beauty and forged for her beautiful jewelry, including cestus, a gold belt that makes it even more irresistible to men. Aphrodite's displeasure with his arranged marriage makes men look for other companies, most often Ares. [41]In the tale sung by the bard in Alcino room, [43] the sun god Helios once spied Ares and Aphrodite enjoying each other secretly in the hall of Hephaestus, and he promptly reported the incident to the Olympic spouse of Aphrodite.

Hephaestus to catch the couple in flagrante and so he made a special, thin and strong network as the diamond to catch the illicit lovers. At the appropriate time, this net was thrown and trapped Ares and Aphrodite in a passionate embrace. But Hephaestus was not yet satisfied with his revenge - he invited the gods and goddesses of Olympus to see the unhappy couple. Some commented on the beauty of Aphrodite, others expressed their opinions eagerly trade places with Ares, but all mocked and laughed at the two. Once the couple were loosed, Ares, embarrassed, fled to his homeland, Thrace, and Aphrodite, embarrassed, fled to cyphurs.Guardian of Rome [edit | edit source] In the Troia destruction, Aphrodite spoke to his son Aeneas pick up his father, his wife and go to Troia. Eneas did as his mother said, and traveled guided by Aphrodite with the Roman name of Venus, wandering in the Mediterranean to reach the Italian peninsula, where his descendants built Rome. This is reported in the epic poem by Virgil, Aeneid, maximum work of Latin literature.

[46] From this Roman epic, Venus (Aphrodite in Greek) is now considered the guardian goddess of Rome. One myth recounts that when Juno (Hera in Greek) tried to open the doors of Rome to an invading army, Venus sought to thwart his plans by blocking the way with water. Lovers The most important myths of the goddess, as Ares and Adonis, revolve around the love that was the main hatred of Hera, his wife, [57] This, when she learned that Aphrodite was pregnant by Zeus, unkindly put her hand on her stomach, making your child born deformed. This child would be the god Priapus. But other myths say Priapus is the son of Dionysus or Adonis. [58]Other divine loves include Hephaestus, Dionysus, with whom she had a short case they "have everything in common" and with it the child Iaco, [59] Hermes, who had Hermaphrodite, and Poseidon, with whom she was delighted and grateful because he persuaded Hephaestus to release her and Ares, as he took the two together. With Poseidon had Rhode and Herophile.

[60] [61]Its main consort and longest romance was Ares, being from the Iliad portrayed as his mate. They had seven children: Phobos, Deimos, Harmony and Erotes:. Eros, Anteros, Himeros and Photos, [62] [63] although most myths portray Aphrodite generating Eros alone [64]Among her mortal lovers, the most famous was Adonis, who was regarded as his great love and with whom he had Golgos and Beroe, which gave name to the Lebanese capital. [65] Anchises, Prince of Troy, was another famous love, and some versions of the myth say that Aphrodite fell in love with him as punishment Zeus that she had made the gods fall in love with mortal women. With Anchises took Aeneas and Liros, and soon after the birth of her children, her passion for Anquises disappeared, while continuing to protect you and your children. [66]Among other less famous mortal loves is Phaethon, a man in Athens who has custody of his temple, whom she loved and who had Astínoo.

[67] Butes, one of the Argonauts, was saved by Aphrodite, who took him for a isolated island where they made love; Erix she had with him. [68] There is also a Daimon, Chest, who personified the desire, a constant companion of Aphrodite, which was seen in some myths as a daughter of the goddess. However, the authors of this myth does not say who the father breast with Aphrodite. Sphere of Control Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, desire, grace, and sexuality. Even though she is only the goddess of love and beauty, she is one of the most powerful Olympians, because she has control over looks, love, and lust. In early Rome, she was considered a goddess of vegetation. She protected gardens and vineyards but after the Romans met the Greeks, they realized that she wasn't meant to be an agricultural goddess. While the Greeks envisaged her as the proud and vain goddess of beauty, the Romans saw her as the stern forebearer of their country.

Guardian of Rome In the Troia destruction, Aphrodite spoke to his son Aeneas pick up his father, his wife and go to Troia. Eneas did as his mother said, and traveled guided by Aphrodite with the Roman name of Venus, wandering in the Mediterranean to reach the Italian peninsula, where his descendants built Rome. This is reported in the epic poem by Virgil, Aeneid, maximum work of Latin literature. [46] From this epic Roman, Venus came to be considered the guardian goddess of Rome. One myth recounts that when Juno (Hera Roman) tried to open the doors of Rome to an invading army, Venus sought to thwart his plans blocking the way to the water. The Lusiadas The Lusiads poetry of Luís Vaz de Camões writer who tells the story of Portugal presents Venus(Aphrodite) as the Portuguese patron goddess becases Venus sees the Portuguese as heirs of the Romans loved and known to be held by them. Camões was a man of passions, which also celebrated love in his lyrical, and perhaps why he had chosen the Roman goddess that feeling for patroness of his people.

It follows a riot, with the other Olympians to take advantage of Bacchus(Dionysus)and Venus, until the powerful Mars (Ares) is imposed, startling Apollo an aside (verse 37). The Venus lover and admirer of warriors made of Portuguese, remember that not only have earned they can accomplish their feat, as Jupiter had already decided to grant this favor and should not go back on the word. The king of the gods agree and closes the council. Personality and Appearance Aphrodite is a vain goddess, proud of her looks and disdains ugliness. She is shallow, arrogant and jealous. Aphrodite is also faithless and has had relationships with many gods like Ares , Poseidon , Hermes and Dionysus . She can make anyone fall in love with anyone, even Zeus is not immune to her power. She has tremendous power over lust. She is often depicted as a beautiful young woman, in revealing clothes. Magic Girdle (symbol) greeksgeeks - Aphrodite greeksgeeks Export (PDF) Aphrodite is usually said to have been born near Paphos, on the island of Cyprus, for which reason she is called "Cyprian.

Her center of Worship was in Paphos, where the goddess of desire was worshiped from a young age for her beauty. other versions of the myth state that she was born near the coast of Kythira, Venus Imperial Cult Venus One of the principle goddesses from the Near East was known in the Babylonian pantheon as Ishtar, and to the Phoenician peoples as Astarte. This goddess par excellence was responsible for the fertility of the earth and the sexuality of humanity. She was also an armed war goddess who ruled over the heavens, and was identified with the brightest star in the sky. To the Phoenician traders, she brought safety and prosperity to sailors. In the multi-cultural climate of the ancient Mediterranean, the Semitic goddess would be adopted into the Greek pantheon via the Phoenician trading colony on Cyprus. Ishtar-Astarte was remodeled as Aphrodite. Aphrodite means "foam born". An early Greek myth recounts how the severed genitals of the primal sky god Ouranos fell near the Island of Cyprus; there resulted a great foam, and from it lovely Aphrodite was blown to shore. Aphrodite was even older than Zeus in this recollection.

Henceforth her principal epithet would be "Cyprian" or she from Cyprus. The truth behind the myth recounts how a very old Semitic goddess penetrated the Western mind via the Phoenician cult center at Cyprus. The Greeks already had a goddess of war, as well as a queen of Heaven, and various fertility goddesses. Thus in bringing Ishtar-Astarte into the pantheon as Aphrodite, the goddess lost all her domains except the one for which she would become immortalized: love and sexuality, and the seduction that goes with it. Aphrodite reigned in the Greek pantheon in this capacity for many centuries. Nonetheless her origins as a more potent Near Eastern divinity were never completely forgotten. She was sometimes called Urania, the Heavenly. She had power to tame wild animals, and was considered a protector of sea travelers. Finally her myths sometimes recount a vicious streak that was true to her origins as a Semitic war goddess. In Sparta, there was even a cult to an armed and warlike Aphrodite. Yet, it was as the goddess of love and seduction for which she was most honored in myth and cult.

The story of Aphrodite's role in the Trojan War was immortalized by Homeric Epic. Her most infamous cult center was in the Greek polis of Corinth. There she had a great temple presided over by a band of "sacred prostitutes" who reputedly pleasured sailors as part of their cult duties. This apotheosis of sexuality would scandalize later Christian society. Even in Greek times some people found it base. In some ascetic mystical cults, love was recast less as a biological principle and more as a great cosmological force like gravity; it served as a power of attraction that united the cosmos and led souls upward into their final destinies. To this mysticism, some philosophers de-emphasized biological love in favor of spiritual love: a love for wisdom and civic concord, a love for one's fellow man and concern for the citizen body. In the Roman tradition, there was a goddess Venus. Venus means "charm" in archaic Latin. Venus was an Italic goddess who presided over persuasiveness and seduction in both the divine and mortal worlds. She was closely associated with springs, gardens and vineyards.

Under increasing Greek influence, Venus was easily equated with the Greek goddess of seduction, and Venus assumed Aphrodite's mythology. As Aphrodite's descendant Aeneas fled Troy to found the Roman race, Venus was regarded as the grandmother of the Roman people and treated with special honor. The Roman Venus was regarded as the goddess of love and beauty as well, but unlike the bawdy Greeks, the Romans saw her as more stately. She was said to protect the morals of maidens and avert vice. She was thought to dispense divine favor to her favorites. Many warlords of the late Republic - including Sulla, Pompey and Caesar - honored Venus as a protector and benefactor. It was under Caesar that Venus worship began to assume its final form. The Julian clan claimed direct descent from Venus via Aeneas, and the ambitious and narcissistic Caesar dedicated a public cult to Venus to remind Romans of the fact. Venus Genetrix, or Venus the Progenitor, was honored as the divine ancestor of the Roman people and the Julian clan in particular. She was a goddess not only of love and beauty, but of motherhood and marriage and domestic life.

She had powers over nature, and was eventually identified with the planet that bears her name, the brightest star in the sky. This manifestation of Venus had much in common with the Semitic goddess who had started the whole enterprise in the first place! Augustus Caesar, adopted ward of the Julian clan, associated the cult of Venus Genetrix with that of Mars Ultor, the other divine ancestor of the Roman race, and the avenger of Caesar's murder. Venus and Mars, as seen by the Julian clan, would then receive honors and become the major gods of the Roman Empire until the beginning of the Christian era. Even after Christianity, Venus would still be immortalized in art and poetry as the cultural symbol of love and beauty, and the awesome power of female sexuality. Did you know? Venus was born in the sea and first came to shore at Cyprus, floating on a scallop shell. ________________________________ BBC - Travel - The island of Aphrodite’s ancestors History The island of Aphrodite’s ancestors With Ancient Greek, Venetian, Ottoman and British influences sitting alongside rocky cliffs and sweeping coastlines, the tiny Greek island of Cythera will not remain a secret for long.

By Katherine LaGrave 4 January 2014 In 2004, Albert Blok closed his eyes and randomly pointed to a spot on a map, determined to spend his next holiday wherever his finger landed. He’d never heard of Cythera, a tiny Greek island northwest of Crete, but after visiting, he was smitten. “It keeps revealing new secrets to us,” said Blok, who ended up emigrating to Cythera from the Netherlands in 2008, and now runs the traditional guesthouse Xenónas Fos kè Chóros in the village of Aroniadika with his partner Anita Snippe. “Places we have never been before, people we have never met before – its beauty keeps on surprising us. On the one hand, we want to share this beauty with everyone, but on the other hand, we want to keep it a secret.” Related slideshow: Discovering the Dodecanese Islands Blok is not alone. Floating at the intersection of the Ionian and Mediterranean Seas, Cythera – with some 3,500 full-time residents – has thus far managed to remain one of Greece’s best-kept secrets.

But with the country poised to see nearly 17 million visitors in 2013 , the island’s 65 ancient villages and 30km of coastline will not remain blissfully unburdened by mass tourism for long. Where history and legend meet Mythologically speaking, Cythera has clout. Reputedly, it was in the waters off Cythera that Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, rose out of the aphrós – the Greek word for foam –after Uranus’s genitals were cast into the water. Other stories relate that Aphrodite, also known as Cytherea, then travelled to Cyprus, which also claims to be the goddess’s home – but tension is no stranger to these waters. Since naval times, the island’s strategic location has made it somewhat of a cosmopolitan crossroads for sailors, merchants and, of course, pesky conquerors.

Inhabited since the Neolithic Era, the island has changed hands many times: notable figures in Cythera’s history include Venetian Marchese Marco Venieri, who claimed to be a descendant of Aphrodite (and whose own descendants still live on the island); and the pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa, an Ottoman fleet admiral who ravaged the ancient Byzantine capital fortress of Paliochora in 1537, the ruins of which remain in the island’s northeast. As a result, Cythera displays hearty remnants of its cultural bouillabaisse, with Venetian, Ottoman, British and Ancient Greek influences coexisting on the island. Perhaps the most intact example of prior rule is the Kastro, a castle on Spiridonos street in Chora, the island’s tiny modern-day capital. Built between the 12th and 13th Centuries during a period of Venetian occupation, the castle was once called “the eye of Crete”; views from the top allow visitors to see the Ionian, Aegean and Cretan seas simultaneously. Today, the castle – the former residence of the Venetian governor – houses the historical archives of Cythera.

Also in sight is the town of Kapsali, which served as the capital’s port during Venetian times. Located just 2km south of Chora, Kapsali is characterised by a curved waterfront and sandy twin bays where sea turtles are known to swim. Kapsali is just one of many villages that dot Cythera’s shoreline, with one of the most well known among locals being picturesque Avlemonas, a charming and historic hamlet situated some 18km northeast of Chora that you can reach by crossing Katouni Bridge. A reminder of British rule, the stone bridge –the largest of its kind in Greece at 110m long and 6m wide – was completed in 1826 as part of a project to ensure ease of travel between the seaside village and Chora – or so official records say. Legend has it that the construction was driven by desire: after Cythera’s British governor fell in love with a girl from a nearby village, he decided to build this bridge near her house in order to see her daily. Another large relic backed by lore is the Panagia Myrtidiotissa monastery, the largest in Cythera.

Situated on the western side of the island near the village of Kalokerines, the monastery – which translates to “The Most Holy Virgin Mary of the Myrtle Trees” – was built next to a myrtle tree where a shepherd, according to legend, found a holy icon of the Virgin Mary in the 14th Century. Pilgrims travel here to venerate the icon on 15 August’s Feast of the Dormition and on 24 September, the day of its finding. The icon is the patron saint of all Kytherians and is on display in the monastery save for Easter, when there is a religious procession to transfer it to Chora. An island for nature lovers Whittled away by wind and sea, Cythera is generously composed of steep, rocky cliffs and deep bays – and all of these elements are on display in the lush village of Mylopotamos, situated approximately 13km northwest of Chora. Meaning “mill on the river” in Greek, the village was once home to 22 watermills used for grinding wheat.

Today, only one renovated mill remains, situated near the island’s notorious 20m waterfall, Neraida, which is a fount of folklore. Also known as Fonissa (“female killer”), the waterfall was reputedly the site of a murder: legend has it that two women were fighting atop the waterfall when one pushed the other over the edge. Many hiking paths originate by the Neraida waterfall and loop through the village, incorporating a variety of cultural and scenic elements that illustrate Cythera’s combination of natural beauty and historical significance. Hikers can follow one such monopati (a one-person path often used for donkeys) – recently signposted with numbers and arrows – that loops 2.6km past ruins of old mills and back to the town, though the more intrepid can choose to break away from the path before it loops back up and descend 2.2km down steep rocks and through the gorge to Kalami Beach, which can only be reached on foot by climbing down the rocks or through the gorge.

Another scenic hike starts in the cypress forests of Lourantianika, in the island’s southern region, and passes 4.6km through wild olive trees while affording spectacular views of Chora, the Kastro and the sea. Such discoveries of isolated beauty remain standard on Cythera, said Fivos Tsaravopoulos, programme coordinator of the Kythera Hiking Project , an organization centred around the creation of trails and sustainable tourism on the island. “Cythera is a small paradise for walking,” he said. “It combines incredible landscapes – forests, waterfalls, cliffs, gorges, beaches and a Mediterranean desert – and picturesque villages, beautiful churches on the top of mountains and an incredible amount of wildflowers.”

Question: The goddess Aphrodite was said to have been born on which Mediterranean island?
Answer: Cyprus